Slim chance of success for Brockton anti-power plant measure

Critics of a proposed Brockton power plant say there’s one last chance for the project to be blocked in the state Legislature — through an amendment to the state Senate’s budget.

But it appears to be a slim chance, due to opposition from key legislators.

The amendment passed in the state Senate by a vote of 26-13 in May following a contentious debate.

But the measure failed in the House version of the budget. That means that now, a conference committee of six lawmakers must decide whether to include the amendment in the Legislature’s final budget, which lawmakers hope to pass by the end of the month.

The committee does not appear inclined to support the measure.

Two of the lawmakers on the committee — Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, D-Lowell, and Sen. Frederick Berry, D-Peabody — voted against the amendment in the Senate.

And House Speaker Sal DiMasi, who appoints the house members on the committee, is against the measure.

DiMasi has said the amendment is probably illegal, according to state Rep. Christine Canavan, D-Brockton. DiMasi spokesman David Guarino did not return a message late Wednesday afternoon.

The measure prohibits a power plant from being built less than a mile from a playground, a licensed day-care center, a school, a church, an area of critical environmental concern or any residential area in Brockton, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Easton and Walpole.

State Sen. Robert Creedon, who filed the measure in the Senate, said he still has hope for the amendment, which would block a 350-megawatt fossil fuel plant that has proven controversial in Brockton.

“Hopefully, the troops on the House side are going to get the speaker of the House to agree to our amendment,” said Creedon, D-Brockton. “If the house agrees, it goes to the governor’s desk.”

Some lawmakers have previously said the measure would be bad policy — setting a precedent that the Legislature can override the judgment of state agencies that were created to review power projects.

Other lawmakers have said new power plants are crucial due to the possibility of electricity shortages in New England in coming years.

The proposed Brockton plant would generate power primarily by burning natural gas, and would be located on Oak Hill Way.

The site would be less than a mile from two schools and dozens of homes. Many residents and officials cite concerns about health risks and the 250-foot stack that would rise a short distance from Main Street.

Previously, Creedon filed an amendment to a state energy bill with identical language to the budget amendment. That amendment failed after heading to a conference committee of lawmakers.

Canavan, the Brockton state representative and a plant opponent, said she fears this may be the fate of the budget amendment as well.

The opposition from DiMasi is a major hurdle, she said.

“We still have to make our voices heard,” Canavan said. “But I don’t think (the amendment) is going to make it.”

A spokeswoman for Advanced Power, the Swiss-based company behind the plant, expressed confidence the amendment will fail.

“The Legislature created a regulatory process for projects like this to be approved,” said spokeswoman Amy Lambiaso, referring the state Energy Facilities Siting Board, which is reviewing the plant proposal and will decide whether to issue a permit.

“I would be very surprised if that same Legislature undercut that process,” Lambiaso said.

The Siting Board hasn’t rejected a power plant proposal any time in recent memory, state officials have said.